So I got to thinking about my mini review about the Alpaca travel guitar in the backpacking thread, and while I
was able to try one briefly last year, I really didn't have enough time with it, or have a chance to play one alongside other guitars I own, so I decided to buy one so I can give it a proper test drive.
The guitar arrived a few days ago, and just as I recalled, fit and finish were excellent, with a shape only a mother could love.
Once I got it home I was able to play it alongside a dozen other travel guitars in my collection, and while not in the same league tonally as the Blackbird Rider, (the only other CF guitar I would recommend for backpacking) the Alpaca competes quite well with the sub compact wood travel guitars in my collection, like the Go Grand, and Vagabond, both of which have a huge following, as well as the Emerald X5. So not a bad sounding little guitar at all.
Next I decided to figure out what was behind the shape, and you know what, the shape makes a lot of sense for the intended purpose. It comes with a simple carry bag that allows you to take it anywhere, but it also rides nicely in my camping day pack, as well as my Blackbird Ultralight back pack meant for the Rider. (an outstanding bag, BTW) It's a few ounces lighter than the Rider, and a few inches shorter, and to my surprise, no more bulky.
Playing the guitar took some getting used to due to the unusual shape, but here again the shape makes a lot of sense. The guitar sits on my leg perfectly, and positions the soundhole for maximum volume to the player. The neck has a subtle V shape, the setup is excellent, and it has an adjustable truss rod for further fine tuning. The tuners take some getting used to, but work very well with the 40:1 ratio, and there is little chance of bumping the tuners out of tune in transit. The fact that there is no headstock also takes some getting used to, but it's definitely not a deal breaker.
I will continue to test this unusual little guitar over the coming months, and report back, but for now I think this guitar is a keeper. And no, it wont be replacing my trusty Blackbird Rider anytime soon, but I will say that I am more impressed than I thought I would be. Especially at the $799 price.
Here's my Alpaca between my Rider, and the new Journey RT660.
